yesterday was 端午节　or dragon boat race festival, which commemorates the death of the poet qu yuan. for origin stories, zongzi recipes, and related poetry go here. in the meantime, the text messages have been flying, some about happy thoughts for each other on a fesitival day, others about stock market trials and tribulations. but whatever the inspiration, the spirit of these jokes points to difficult and strained relationships. to paraphrase an american colloquialism: in shenzhen, we’re taking the lemons of globalization and making lemonade.

for the festival:
武功再高，也怕菜刀
智力再好，一砖撂倒
走自己的路，让别人打车去吧
穿别人的鞋，让他们找去吧
我现在就送给你端午节快乐的祝福，让别人羡慕吧

no matter how skilled, one still fears a knife,
no matter how brilliant, one could be knocked out by a brick.
walk your own path, let others take a car.
wear someone else’s shoes, let them search in vain.
i’m sending you festival greetings, let the others envy you.

from the market a pithy take on four generations of leadership:

老毛一挥手：下乡！
老邓一挥手：下海！
老江一挥手：下岗！
老胡一挥手：下跌！还得意洋洋地说：我叫胡紧套，还怕套不死你！

old mao directed us: go down to the countryside!
old deng directed us: go down [jump] into the ocean! (a reference to the country becoming capitalist)
old jiang directed us: go down [leave] from your post! (a reference to rising unemployment)
old hu directed us: go down! (a reference to plummiting stock prices) what’s more, he arrogantly said, “i’m just afraid that you won’t be taken in!”